astfel

Etymology

It is a compound from Romanian ast (“this”) + fel (“kind, manner”), the first part being a shortening of acest.^[1][2][3] DEX and Wiktionary start from the phrase ⟨într-ast fel⟩ “in this way”.^[3][4] The DA compares the formations Hungarian ilyféle (“of this kind”) and olyféle (“of that kind”).^[5] Hasdeu called it a purely Romanian compound, in opposition to altfel, whose parts had not yet fully fused.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Tiktin's first record is from an elegy by Heliade Rădulescu, of 1830, with the sense “so, thus”.^[1] The DA notes that the word, very common today, appears in literature only in the 19th century and is almost absent from folk poetry.^[5] MDA2 cites first Bălcescu's history of Michael the Brave, in its edition of 1878.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Before the compound, writers used the phrase acest fel: C. Negruzzi wrote „acest fel le grăi” “thus he spoke to them”.^[1] The adverb “thus, in this way” developed the sentence-linking senses “so that, therefore”.^[5][3] With de it forms an adjective phrase: astfel de oameni “such people”.^[3][1] Hasdeu described how the stress moved with the word's function: on fel as a noun, on ast as an adjective.^[6]

Timeline

• 1830 – astfel in Heliade Rădulescu's elegy.^[1]
• 1878 – the edition of Bălcescu's history cited by MDA2.^[2]

Meanings

Adverb

1. thus, in this way, așa.^[3][2][4]
2. So that; therefore, consequently.^[3][2]
3. astfel de: such, of this kind: astfel de lucruri “such things”.^[3][1]

Related words

• altfel
• fel
• acest
• așa

Usage notes

Regional forms are asfel (Muntenia) and astfeli (Moldavia).^[1][2]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Tiktin, Hariton (2000–2005), Rumänisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., revised by Paul Miron and Elsa Lüder, 3 vols., Cluj-Napoca: Clusium, p. s.v. astfel
2. ^ a b c d e f Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 1, 115
3. ^ a b c d e f g DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 1, 69
4. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
5. ^ a b c Academia Română (1913–1949), Dicționarul limbii române (DA), ed. Sextil Pușcariu, tom I (A–B, C, D–De) and tom II (F–I, J–Lojniță), București: Socec / Universul / Monitorul Oficial și Imprimeriile Statului; page scans at cflr-scans.solirom.ro, p. s.v. astfel
6. ^ a b Hasdeu, B. P. (1886–1898), Etymologicum Magnum Romaniae: dicționarul limbei istorice și poporane a românilor, 4 vols. (A–Bărbat), București: Socec, p. s.v. astfel